De Bromhead celebrations after landing first Royal Ascot winner
Ascending claims the Ascot Stakes while Aidan O'Brien scores his 11th Coventry Stakes victory
Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Celebrations for connections of Ascending after landing the Ascot Stakes (Racing Post Photos)
Ascending is a star. He was bought to go hurdling and ran very well over hurdles, but I think he never really loved it, so I said we’d try going back on the Flat. - Henry de Bromhead on Ascending
Henry de Bromhead hitched a ride in the King's carriage last year but admitted nothing beats the buzz of a winner at Royal Ascot, writes James Toney.
From Cheltenham to Aintree, there isn't much the Knockeen trainer hasn't won, from giddy days at The Festival to making history in the Grand National.
But the scenes that greeted Ascending's victory in the Ascot Stakes, leading home an Irish 1-2-3-4 that didn't include Willie Mullins red-hot favourite Reaching High, racing in the colours of The King, were really quite something.
Mullins might be heading for the Tower but De Bromhead was heading for the champagne tent, as excited connections provided one of the moments of the day, Billy Lee producing a perfect ride for his third career winner at the meeting.
Ascending, who was fifth in the 2023 Triumph Hurdle, won the Cork Derby last time out but wasn't considered among the pick of the Green Team in a race in which Irish handlers dominated the market.
"I wanted to go for the Copper Horse Stakes; I thought we had a great chance, but we didn’t get in and someone put us in this race and we win! Happy days.
"Ascending is a star. He was bought to go hurdling and ran very well over hurdles, but I think he never really loved it, so I said we’d try going back on the Flat. David Roach, who works for me, said, ‘there’s a good one in this lad on the Flat’, so we started going that route.
"The owner's son Andrew [Jones] rode him in some nice amateur races last year. That was great fun and he was unlucky not to win one day. Then we’ve just kept going along this route and it has been incredible. I think we’ll stay on the Flat – he seems to love it.
"Billy said he got knocked down after a furlong, so he opted to go out and get a bit of light, and the horse travelled beautifully. He gave him a super ride; he knew he had a kick so he kicked a bit earlier than he’d planned, but he just said he’d try it and it worked well.
"Any of these big races when you are fortunate enough to train good horses is amazing, and I’ve been lucky.”
Aidan O'Brien left his fastest horse at home but still saw his understudy scorch to victory in the Coventry Stakes.
This six furlong two-year-old dash is often the graduating stage for future stars, with O'Brien winning on ten previous occasions, including with Caravaggio, the fastest horse he's ever trained.
This race was the long-term target of Albert Einstein, Ballydoyle's number one speedster, but in his absence, Gstaad scorched to victory in eye-catching style.
"I am absolutely delighted," said O'Brien, after landing his 92nd win at the meeting. "Gstaad looks a very good horse, doesn’t he? We have always loved him. He had only had the one run, but he has always worked like a good horse and I'd imagine a Group One will be next.
“We hoped to have Albert Einstein here but he's having an easy few weeks after spraining a joint.
"He feels like something we didn’t have before. The first day he worked, he was probably the most different horse we have ever seen – he was so quick. We haven’t had horses as quick as he is but as big as he is. He is very exciting.”
Elsewhere, Irish Champion Jockey Colin Keane delivered in his first major Royal Ascot ride since joining the powerhouse Juddmonte operation as their number one jockey.
Keane partnered Field of Gold to victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas and followed up with an impressive win in the St James's Palace Stakes, taking on the respective Guineas winners from England and France and winning in style.
“Good horses make it look easy," said Keane, now a three-time Royal Ascot winning jockey, with his Group One prize his biggest win yet.
"It was a very good renewal of the race. I don’t know when the last time three Guineas winners clashed, but Field Of Gold was very good at the Curragh and very good again today.
“I'm fortunate enough to be riding him and, at this moment, he is the best horse I have sat on. I am in a very privileged position. I have been lucky enough to join this team. It is a very new relationship and to get a horse like him so early on is amazing. I’ve had nothing compared to this in recent years, so it’s a very special day.”
From Cheltenham to Aintree, there isn't much the Knockeen trainer hasn't won, from giddy days at The Festival to making history in the Grand National.
But the scenes that greeted Ascending's victory in the Ascot Stakes, leading home an Irish 1-2-3-4 that didn't include Willie Mullins red-hot favourite Reaching High, racing in the colours of The King, were really quite something.
Mullins might be heading for the Tower but De Bromhead was heading for the champagne tent, as excited connections provided one of the moments of the day, Billy Lee producing a perfect ride for his third career winner at the meeting.
Ascending, who was fifth in the 2023 Triumph Hurdle, won the Cork Derby last time out but wasn't considered among the pick of the Green Team in a race in which Irish handlers dominated the market.
"I'm delighted," said De Bromhead, whose charge finished just ahead of the Joseph O’Brian-trained trio of Nurburgring, Comfort Zone and Leinster.Billy Lee leads home an Irish 1-2-3-4 in the Ascot Stakes as @HenrydeBromhead scores his first winner.
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) June 17, 2025
🎙️ @Franmberry #GreenTeam pic.twitter.com/48bFugwmdj
"I wanted to go for the Copper Horse Stakes; I thought we had a great chance, but we didn’t get in and someone put us in this race and we win! Happy days.
"Ascending is a star. He was bought to go hurdling and ran very well over hurdles, but I think he never really loved it, so I said we’d try going back on the Flat. David Roach, who works for me, said, ‘there’s a good one in this lad on the Flat’, so we started going that route.
"The owner's son Andrew [Jones] rode him in some nice amateur races last year. That was great fun and he was unlucky not to win one day. Then we’ve just kept going along this route and it has been incredible. I think we’ll stay on the Flat – he seems to love it.
"Billy said he got knocked down after a furlong, so he opted to go out and get a bit of light, and the horse travelled beautifully. He gave him a super ride; he knew he had a kick so he kicked a bit earlier than he’d planned, but he just said he’d try it and it worked well.
"Any of these big races when you are fortunate enough to train good horses is amazing, and I’ve been lucky.”
Aidan O'Brien left his fastest horse at home but still saw his understudy scorch to victory in the Coventry Stakes.
This six furlong two-year-old dash is often the graduating stage for future stars, with O'Brien winning on ten previous occasions, including with Caravaggio, the fastest horse he's ever trained.
This race was the long-term target of Albert Einstein, Ballydoyle's number one speedster, but in his absence, Gstaad scorched to victory in eye-catching style.
"I am absolutely delighted," said O'Brien, after landing his 92nd win at the meeting. "Gstaad looks a very good horse, doesn’t he? We have always loved him. He had only had the one run, but he has always worked like a good horse and I'd imagine a Group One will be next.
“We hoped to have Albert Einstein here but he's having an easy few weeks after spraining a joint.
"He feels like something we didn’t have before. The first day he worked, he was probably the most different horse we have ever seen – he was so quick. We haven’t had horses as quick as he is but as big as he is. He is very exciting.”
A first Group One at #RoyalAscot for our Champion Jockey @ctkjockey #GreenTeam pic.twitter.com/uOun2yjAiQ
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) June 17, 2025
Elsewhere, Irish Champion Jockey Colin Keane delivered in his first major Royal Ascot ride since joining the powerhouse Juddmonte operation as their number one jockey.
Keane partnered Field of Gold to victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas and followed up with an impressive win in the St James's Palace Stakes, taking on the respective Guineas winners from England and France and winning in style.
“Good horses make it look easy," said Keane, now a three-time Royal Ascot winning jockey, with his Group One prize his biggest win yet.
"It was a very good renewal of the race. I don’t know when the last time three Guineas winners clashed, but Field Of Gold was very good at the Curragh and very good again today.
“I'm fortunate enough to be riding him and, at this moment, he is the best horse I have sat on. I am in a very privileged position. I have been lucky enough to join this team. It is a very new relationship and to get a horse like him so early on is amazing. I’ve had nothing compared to this in recent years, so it’s a very special day.”